As a fairly new convert to the lds church, I asked my mother to buy this book. The only one to join out of 8, being lds in the home is like David standing before Goliath. Under the Banner of Heaven is a remarkable book. I have always been intrigued with not only religion, but criminal law and the justice system. There is no doubt, mormon history is quiet colorful. As a very intrigued investigator of the fastest growing church in the world, "bookworm" was my nickname for a year straight. I knew already a lot of what Jon presented, however the grueling murders of the Lafferty's and misconstrude use of a "religious experience gone bad" is almost incoherently possible to percieve. However, when I bought the book I was looking for a bash of literealy mainstream mormons. Advertently, I kept running into all this fundamentalism practice. Basically, the lafferty's from what I understand and accumulated from the research and mind of the book, where excommunicated and consequently turned bitter towards the church. They had to find someway to get the "mormons" back and unforunately killing his brothers wife and daughter would shock the whole state. Furthermore, I gave the book a 3 because it seems well researched as far as the lafferty cases go, and even church "history". I bought the book in fear of finding something to turn me against the church, but actually it was a sad, riveting, and unfortunate morbid murders that kept me endelved in the book until i was at the end of it! Using lds scriptures to substaniate there motive is infallible. Yes, Nephi slayed Laban to get the Brass plates that contained the geanology of Lehi's forefathers, but brass plates that would effect the people as contained in the book, and killing someone because of your bitterness towards a people is consciencely different.

Truthfully,
Cory, 17, Tennessee